


Hi (Can I Keep You For The Rest Of Our Lives?)

by Rellanka



Series: A Year Of Cloudy Skies [74]
Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bad Flirting, Love at First Sight, M/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:15:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25256017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rellanka/pseuds/Rellanka
Summary: Yuffie isn't the only one Zack encounters on his first mission in Wutai.
Relationships: Zack Fair/Cloud Strife
Series: A Year Of Cloudy Skies [74]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1697269
Comments: 6
Kudos: 171





	Hi (Can I Keep You For The Rest Of Our Lives?)

**Author's Note:**

> This is yet another one where Cloud was raised in Wutai for the majority of his childhood.

While Zack was willing to chuckle and play along with the little girl that came running up to suddenly attack him, he was much more serious when faced with steel pointed at his throat as a helmeted figure glared fiercely at him. 

“Yuffie.” A soft yet stern voice sounded from the Wutai soldier, “Get behind me.”

“Hey! Did you see, did you see?! I’ve defeated a Soldier, all by myself! Aren’t I awesome!” the girl chirped cheerily, completely ignorant of the tense atmosphere that surrounded her.

“That’s great, Yuffie, but your dad is really worried about you and wants you home. So we’re leaving. Now.” His words were pointedly aimed just as much as Zack as they were at the girl, and for once Zack was glad of the opportunity to avoid a fight. He had no desire to kill someone in front of a kid, especially someone they obviously cared about. 

But something was making Zack curious.

“Your accent- you’re not from around here, are you? What is someone from Midgar doing in Wutai?” 

The figure glared even harder at him. “I’m not from Midgar, I’m from Nibleheim. And what I’m doing here is none of your business.” 

Zack raised his hands in surrender, “Whoa, okay, I’m just asking, no need to bite my head off, man. Sounds like you’re a country boy like me. Figure we ought to be able to be friendly, considering that.” 

“We should be able to be friendly when your company is attacking our country just because they want more places to put their Reactors?” The figure demanded heatedly, “Right. I’m sure we’ll be the best of friends in no time.”

Man, that sarcasm was practically deadly in its bite. 

Still, Zack had to admire the courage of the man in front of him. Must Wutai soldiers would retreat into the shadows or something if faced with a Soldier without any backup. This man was actually sassing him, probably trying to distract him enough that he wouldn’t notice or react to the way that the man’s young friend was currently trying to pick Zack’s pockets. 

“Why not, stranger things have happened. I’m Zack, from Gongaga.” He said, thrusting out a hand and waiting expectantly. The soldier before him hesitated, before appearing to decide that he had nothing to lose by going along with it. 

And by deciding that, he did something that brought him closer to actually being able to defeat Zack in one on one combat than anything he possessed before. He reached up and he removed his helmet and Zack was struck deaf, dumb and senseless to anything else. With eyes that might actually have had cartoon hearts in them for all Zack knew at how awestruck he was in that moment, the Soldier took in how very, very beautiful the man in front of him was. He just barely managed to keep his jaw from dropping open and the smile on his face from turning stupid as Cloud tucked his helmet between his body and one arm and reached out with his other to off a hand to shake Zack’s own. “Cloud Strife.”

Zack went along with the shake dumbly, holding on to Cloud’s hand longer than necessary when it ended. Did he have to let his hand go? Was holding on to it an option? Possibly forever? 

The way that Cloud was now glaring at him again, this time with a touch of confusion, made it pretty clear that he couldn’t. Yet, at least. 

“It is really, really nice to meet you.” Zack said enthusiastically as he tried to pose in a way that showed off his best attributes. Should he flex his arms a little? That would be cool if he figured out a way to do it casually enough, right? But what if Cloud somehow took it as a threat? 

“Oh, brother, there goes another one.” Yuffie muttered from behind him where she was now pretty blatantly trying to pry a materia from his sword. 

For his own part, Cloud replied, “Wish I could say the same.” causing Zack to deflate and Yuffie to snicker. 

“Yuffie,” Cloud said again before Zack could figure out what to say next, “We really do have to go. Now. This Soldier probably has friends, and they’re bound to show up at any moment. I can’t protect you against two of them.”

Zack frowned. “We wouldn’t hurt you guys, especially if you weren’t attacking us first.“ he said, almost hurt by the implication. Sure, the man in front of him didn’t know him, but Zack had really thought they were getting along pretty well so far!

Cloud paused to stare at him silently for a moment, something almost like consideration in his eyes, before finally turning his gaze away, “Maybe you wouldn’t, but I can’t be so sure about your friend. Yuffie, please.” 

It was the please that seemed to make the girl stop and take Cloud seriously. Moving around Zack with a frown, she walked over to join Cloud. “Okay, but you owe me lots for this one, Cloudy! I really do think I could have taken him.” She said, true confidence in her voice. It was kinda impressive, how brave the kid was. 

Cloud rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, “You took something from him, all right.” before putting his helmet back on (That’s just not fair, Zack thought to himself dramatically, hiding all that beautiful under such an ugly thing.) and reaching down to take Yuffie’s hand. 

Zack sighed as he watched them leave, before turning back to the doors of the building. He really needed to ask Angeal about fraternization regulations between Wutai troops and Soldiers, and also how much trouble he’d be in if he broke them. 

And for some gil and materia, considering the fact that he now had none. 

(But seriously, letting Cloud’s friend pick his pockets to get the man to spend a little more time with him had been so worth it.)


End file.
